Furniture slipcovers are a cost-effective and useful way to change or improve the appearance of a sofa, chair, davenport or the like. Current slipcovers, such as those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/964,436, include a set of ties, or, alternatively, elastic strips, that are placed at predetermined locations on the slipcover that are easy to use and apply to upholstered furniture. The ties provide tension to secure the slipcover to the furniture. By providing a one-piece slipcover with ties (or some form of elasticity) a variety of differently sized and shaped furniture, such as chairs and sofas, can be covered with tension applied at the corners of the furniture.
Referring to the drawing figures in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, FIG. 1A illustrates a prior art slipcover 100 that includes fastening ties at predetermined positions, and placed on sofa 104a. In the prior art slipcover 100, eight fastening ties are provided, wherein two fastening ties form a set 102. Ties 102 are placed on slipcover 100 such that the fastening ties are tied at four corners of the sofa 104a. Fastening ties 102 are preferably positioned at the four corners of a sofa, for example, to maintain the slipcover 100 in place. Upon mounting the slipcover onto a piece of furniture, ties 102 allow the slipcover to be tightened to hug the furniture to remove any pleating or shirring appearance of the slipcover 100.
The prior art slipcover 100 shown in FIG. 1A is made of fabric of a size that enables it to cover the piece of upholstered furniture to be protected thereby. The slipcover 100 has a continuous integral peripheral bottom portion that defines a single opening into a tub-shaped cover that is designed to allow the slipcover to be lowered onto the sofa 104a, there being provided special pockets for the armrests 106 and the backrest 110 of the sofa. Although not shown in FIG. 1A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,610 describes that the slipcover 100 can be provided along the bottom thereof with a drawstring to gather excess material and to cleat and hold it at the selected length needed to tighten the bottom portion of the slipcover against the base of the furniture.
A conventional slipcover is designed to fit a range of sofa slot sizes, for example, from 60 to 90 inches. In the example shown in FIG. 1A, sofa 104a, has a seat width of 60 inches and a circumference of 200 inches. Fastening ties 102 may be tied in the form of a knot or bow, and are shown placed in various positions on sofa 104a. In the example prior art slipcover 100 shown in FIG. 1A, two fastening ties 102a and 102b are each positioned in the center the armrests 106 of sofa 104a, and two fastening ties 102c and 102d are each positioned near the corners 108 of the backrest 110 of sofa 104a. Positioning the fastening ties 102 in this way enables tension at all four corners of sofa 104a. Furthermore, the slipcover 100 fits on sofa 104a, and the fastening ties 102 are placed in their respective positions.
FIG. 1B illustrates the prior art slipcover 100 tied on a sofa 104b, which is larger in overall size than the sofa 104a shown in FIG. 1A, and has a seat width of 90 inches and circumference of 260 inches. As shown in FIG. 1B, when the slipcover 100 is placed on sofa 104b, the fastening ties 102 (102a-102d) are not in the respective positions shown in FIG. 1A. Since the seat of sofa 104b is wider by 30 inches, fastening ties 102a and 102b, in particular, are shifted closer to the center of sofa 104b, each by approximately 15 inches. Moreover, fastening ties 102c and 102d may also shift relative to the furniture covered and relative to the held bunched portion of the slipcover, particularly during longer periods of ordinary use or during particularly active periods. This results in an unseemly and undesirable appearance. FIG. 1C shows an example slipcover 100 when used on another piece of furniture (chair 112) which is smaller than sofa 104a (FIG. 1A). In the example shown in FIG. 1C, the respective positions of fastening ties 102a (FIG. 1C) are shifted away from the center of arms 106 because the size of slipcover 100 is inappropriate with respect to the size of chair 112. FIGS. 1D and 1E show, respectively, sets of the fastening ties 102 in the untied and tied positions.
It is recognized by the inventor that prior art slipcovers 100 present undesirable effects when placed over furniture which is not sized precisely to fit within the slipcover 100. Conventional slipcovers 100 may not appear uniform, streamlined and neat while placed over a single-sized piece of furniture.
The need exists therefore for a slipcover that fits variously sized furniture, including sofas and chairs, that maintains a neat, tight and fitted appearance. Also the need exists for a way to provide a snugger fit while minimizing the visibility of the securing means, or for providing a streamlined look therefor.